Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-08-06
WOMEN At THE POLLS.

during the election on thursday, the |
women in various places in the state Wis
tied the polls personally and used their |
influence in an effort to secure votes for
the prohibition cause. The prudence and |
ACCESSIBILITY Of women actively partici- |
pating in elections nave been questioned, |
and in some instances criticisms both un-
lust and ungenerous have been iudutged
in by individuals and journals, thst are
anything but creditsble to their authors.
The GAZETTE would discourage the good
ladies from visiting the polls, not because
of any apprehepsions il entertaiGs of their
being subjected TO sry inconvenience or
rudeness, out because it mas faith in the
wisdom OF the voters OF the country. TO
intimate that women who visit voting
places on election day Will be insulted or
joslIed around by roughs, is 6 libel on
the chivalrous manhood of Texas. Those
pure and virtuous women cen rest secure
in the knowledge that they viii be pro
tected. The same viciousnes5 which
would insult woman at the polls you'd
insult her on the stre3ts, in public places,
lu church or in the privacy Of her home,
did it dare do so, and the same man
hood which shields her in one place can
do the same with equal fscihtyin smother.
While THE GAZETTE would discourage
women from taking an active part in
elections 1t recognizes her perfect right
20 do so il she desires. TIE interests of
the country are as dear to her as they ere
10 the Steiner sex, and it cannot DC
doubted but that she has as much intclH-
genCe and patriotism on the question Of
prohibition, whether rightfulIy or not she
imagines she hiss real aud tantEmount
interest. Whether logically or illogically
she maintains her position, her heart
is in the work and her sympathies are
aroused. She has waited and watched
and prayed in the seclusion and senctity
Of her home with patience, fortitude
and persistence unknown to the male sex.
She has asked vainly, impotently, be-
seemingly for this, to her, great boon,
until driven to desperation she ssllias
forth to ask of man what God refuses to
give. That mysterious thing called TIE
bsllotbox is to her possessed Of the at
tributes OF omnipotence. as bosom Of
destruction it can sweep wrong, suffer
ing and sin from the earth, or By its al
lurements entice peace, plenty and hap
piness to the homes of men. The COM
panion and eoEGdant of her husband in
all other pursuits she cannot see why at
this coDjuncture she should be TelegssSf
to the home and declared from the pkfvi-
lege of counseliug with those into whose
hands the laws have placed her fate s1d
whose mandates she must bIindly oasg.
Let her husband tell her shat there is
danger at the polls, she clings to him the
tighter; let him tell her that the idle, the
dissolute and vicious congregate there
aud she regards it sacrilege, and in
stinctively she is impelIed to Fly in
defense OF the purity of the bal
lot box. In the south there is
no question which will attract g
woman to the polls save prohibition.
Without reasoning or rejecting on coIo'la-
incidents, she assumes with imaginative
| satisfaction and comfortable certainty
that the very name implies realization Of
her wishes. Whatever we may think of
the wisdom of women taking part in an
election of this character, with their
ideas upon the liquor trafc, and with the
bitter, hopeless memories that throDg
around many woman's heart, no one
can blame her for making her feelings
manifest. She can accomplish nothing?
Conceded. She thinks she can, and sees
no harm in making the earnest effort. If
she chooses to go to the polls she will be
protected.